Lace and Blade 2 by Deborah J. Ross

Author:Deborah J. Ross
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fantasy, romance, action, adventure, swords, magic, swashbuckling
Publisher: Marion Zimmer Bradley Literary Works Trust
Published: 2018-01-11T16:00:00+00:00

Rent Girl

by Traci N. Castleberry

Traci N. Castleberry says she first met Orossy (that’s or-OH-see) when he appeared in her novel in a tavern wearing a dress and she had to figure out a reasonable explanation as to why. “Rent Girl” takes place after the events in that novel.

By night, Traci works in a hotel security department in the Arizona desert helping to corral a variety of creatures including rattlesnakes, tarantulas, lizards, javelina and lost guests. By day she serves her Lipizzan mare, Carrma, who provided the inspiration for several M/M paranormal romance books includingCapriole and Levade. Along with her pen names Evey Brett and Nica Berry, Traci has been published with Lethe Press, Loose Id, Carina Press, Ellora's Cave and Cleis Press. She's attended workshops such as Clarion, Taos Toolbox, the Lambda Literary Retreat for Emerging LGBT Writers and has an MA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. Visit Traci and her alter egos online at www.orossy.com

In this tale of inner strength and the healing power of love, Traci asks some hard questions: How do we accept love when we believe ourselves to be unlovable? How do we reconcile and nourish the masculine and feminine aspects of ourselves, especially when the prevailing expectations force us to be only one or the other?

Orossy shivered in the cold, gray morning. Feisal’s warm body curled beside him in the same bed they’d shared for the past month, in the same comfortably cluttered room. Yet Orossy felt far away, stifled, choked—

“’Rossy? What’s wrong?”

He couldn’t talk, trapped in a nightmare. Men surrounded him, held him fast. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t get away...

“’Rossy? Another dream?” Feisal’s voice brought him back. After a moment: “Another memory?”

With a nod, Orossy pressed his back against Feisal’s broad chest and felt strong arms wrap around him. He still wasn’t used to being able to trust anyone as deeply as he trusted Feisal. It scared him as much as the dream had.

“Want to tell me about it?”

He didn’t. Not really. Nor did he need to; Feisal knew almost as much of Orossy’s past as Orossy himself. “The tavern,” he said. It didn’t matter which day.

“Ah,” was all Feisal said. It was all he needed to say. With his Healer’s mind, he loosed threads of soothing dennar into Orossy’s body. The panic ebbed, but the fear remained. “I’ll make you some tea.”

“I don’t like tea.” Orossy got up to follow Feisal anyway. Feisal tossed him a robe, and Orossy wrapped himself in the blue silk. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t.” Feisal looked at him with exasperation tempered by love. “I won’t be able to sleep if you can’t.”

A light already burned in the kitchen. Jussi, the Lord Governor’s steward, crouched beside the stove, dressed in working clothes, a gray jacket and pants. The kitchen, as always, offered comfort. Wooden panels covered the floor. Near the stove stood an oven and a short wooden table with a pair of three-legged stools. Shelves lined the walls, housing pots and dishes from all over the continent. A kettle of water boiled on the stove, and a plate of rice cakes sat ready.

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